Comforting Winds
by AmeliaLily
Summary: Co-written with Rowzy. It's been awhile since Harry's death, and now Sue has died too. Billy agrees to take in Seth and Leah. But when Leah refuses to confront her feelings of grief, who will be able to help her? Jake/Leah


**AN: I co-wrote this story with Rowzy for the contest mentioned below. Background info: Neither Leah nor Jake is a werewolf. Harry dies and then Sue. Billy takes in Seth and Leah after Sue's death. **

**Disclaimer: We don't own Twilight. Never have and never will. *Sigh***

_**"Pancake Perfume's Crack Pairings Contest!"**_

_**Title: Comforting Winds**_

_**Pairing: Jake/Leah**_

**_Vampire or Human: Human_**

**_For more information please see contest details on The Only Pancake or Voldemortperfume's profile_**

I've known Seth Clearwater since the day he was conceived. I remember putting my little toddler hand on Sue's belly when I was two years old and feeling little Seth kicking. We've been friends since.

But it gets kind of annoying when your parents get together and ogle over pictures of you and your best friend. Naked, in a bathtub, with him and his sister.

Seth has a sister, Leah, that's about the same age as me. We grew up together too but we've been fighting since we were old enough to talk, and never had the same friendship Seth and I shared. Billy, my dad, jokes that it's just sibling rivalry because we've known each other so long.

In the last few months, however, I had started to care for Leah more. At first it was just as friends, but now I knew it was something more. Some people might think that it was just sympathy, but I knew it wasn't.

A few years ago, Seth and Leah lost their dad, Harry. He'd been a great friend to my dad as well as me. We all grieved together over his loss.

But what really turned the tables is when Sue died two weeks ago. Technically she died of a heart attack, but I knew that she really died of a broken heart. She was miserable without Harry. They had loved each other unconditionally, so when Harry died Sue lost all the will to live.

Seth and Leah had no other family. Billy agreed to take them in, and now our already too-small house was even more crowded. But I didn't complain. I knew what they must be going through. When I was young I lost my mom. I don't remember much about her, but I could still relate to their loss.

Seth was grieving openly, which I believed is the best way to go about it. Bottling emotions up in your heart makes it worse in the long run; which is exactly what Leah was doing.

See, Leah feels the need to protect her 'baby brother' by acting strong but when in reality she's in worse condition then him. One of these days, all of the emotions she's been suppressing will come exploding out, and I pity anyone whose around her when it happens

I wasn't the only one who thought Leah needed to let things out. One night after dinner Seth retreated to the small room we shared, and Leah went out the back door without saying a word. That left me to help my dad with the clean up. As I was rinsing a plate in the sink, lost in my own thoughts, my dad's deep voice broke me out of my reverie.

"You know, I've been worried about Leah lately. She doesn't seem to be grieving for her mother as she should be. It can't be good for her, keeping everything up inside."

I shrugged my shoulders, not really wanting to talk about it. "You know Leah. She's never been one to show any emotions. I'm not even sure she has any."

I regretted that last part instantly as I could feel the reproachful look my dad shot me. "I was hoping you would talk to her," he said.

The plate I was holding slipped from my hand and dropped to the floor. I hastily bent to pick it up. Luckily it was one of those hard plastic plates that didn't break very easily. "Why me? Why not you? You _know_ we don't get along," I told him angrily as I returned to the job of cleaning the dishes, this time with a little more force then was necessary. It was true. Even though we were beginning to get along a little better the we once were, it was nowhere near perfect. And she still had no idea that I was starting to see her as more then a friend.

My dad, already more serious since the passing of his two friends, seemed to grow even more somber. "Jacob, you're the only one she knows besides Seth who can even begin to imagine what's she's going through. If you can't help her through this, then I don't know who can."

I clenched my teeth, biting back what I wanted to say. There was no point in arguing with him. "Fine," I said curtly, "I'll talk to her. But don't expect much." I put the last dish away and then stomped out of the kitchen, making my way to the back porch where I had seen Leah go after dinner.

When I got to the back porch I found Leah sitting on the porch swing, arms hugging one of the worn-out pillows that went with the swing, her legs pulled up to her chest. Her chin was resting on her knees as she stared out at the ocean.

Most nights the almost constant covering of clouds made everything dark, and the ocean was nothing more then an inky expanse. But tonight there was a bright full moon and the sky was clear. The moon illuminated everything with an eerie glow and reflected off of the rippling water.

I walked tentatively over to the swing and sat down. Leah didn't say anything to me, and if it weren't for the slight tensing of her shoulders I wouldn't have been sure she had noticed me. Neither of us said anything, and the silence seemed to weigh heavily in the air. Leah and I had never really gotten along well. I didn't even know where to begin with her now.

Finally, I couldn't take it anymore, and said the first thing I could think of. "Billy's been worried about you."

"Then why isn't _Billy_ out here giving me the pity lecture?" She snapped back.

"Because, Leah, I've lost my mom as well, and I can't even imagine what I would do if I lost Billy. I understand what you're going through."

While I was talking she had closed her eyes, and it looked as if she was biting down on the pillow in her arms. As if by biting it, she could hold back her feelings. "You _'understand'?_ Did you go home and find your mom dead, in her bed, clutching your father's most beloved possession to her chest? Do you have a little brother who needed you when you felt that your world was crashing down around you? No you didn't, so don't talk about _'understanding' _me." She was angry now. During her little speech she had stood up and started to walk away from me.

I ran to catch up with her, grabbing her gently by the arm to stop and turn her to face me. "I never got to know my mother. I would do anything to have the chance to see her and remember her more then just from pictures and stories. As for your brother, he _needs _you to grieve. He's worried about you just like we are."

"Nobody cares about me. You just want me to do what _you _think will be best for _yourself_. You don't care about my feelings, what will be best for me."

"What makes you think that Leah?" I waited for an answer that never came. She had diverted her attention away from me, trying to ignore the conversation. "Look at me," I prompted. She didn't, so I gently took my hand and put it under her chin, turning her head to face me.

"Leah, I care about _you._ I can't see you suffer anymore." I had stepped closer to her in an attempt to get my point across, my face was mere inches away from hers now.

"Nobody knows what I've been through, nobody knows what I've seen," She was starting to cry now, but I could tell she was trying to hold back the tears.

"Because you haven't told anybody; you're bottling it up inside of you."

There was a long silence but it wasn't awkward. It seemed like she was thinking of what to say.

Finally she hesitatingly whispered, "And why should I tell you?"

I knew now why I cared so much about her and her recovery; why I wanted to comfort her even though she always pushed me away. I loved her. Most people would say I was naive and jumping to conclusions about my feelings. Sure, I had never been in love before but it seemed instinctual to me. I _knew _I loved her.

"If you really want to know, I care _for _you," my voice was barely above a whisper.

She leaned forward ever so slightly, her eyes glancing from my eyes to my lips.

I inched closer to her, tentatively, afraid of scaring her off. But before I could react further she had closed the distance between us and pressed her lips to mine. They were barely there a second before she abruptly pulled back.

"I'm sorry…I can't do this… I mean, we shouldn't…I mean…." She broke off, biting her lip.

"Don't be sorry," I told her. "There's nothing to be sorry about. There's no reason why we can't do this."

She narrowed her eyes ever so slightly. "And what exactly is 'this` going to be, Jacob? How do you think this will end up?"

I felt a small spark of anger flare up inside me. "Does it matter where it ends up? Can't you just do what you want for once, instead of worry about the consequences?"

"How can I _not_ worry about the consequences?" She snapped. "My parents are _dead_, and I was the one left to take care of Seth, to make sure we are provided for. I can't expect to live with Billy forever. I need to start thinking about the future, making sure that Seth will be taken care of."

"What about you, Leah? Who's going to take care of you? Your parents wouldn't want you to be miserable." I reached out and put a hand on her arm. "And you'll always have place here with us, for as long as you need it."

A tear leaked out of her eye and slid down her cheek. She hurriedly brushed it away. "I'm sorry" she sniffed as more tears slid down her face. "I just don't think this is going to work right now." Tears were rolling down her face, and she couldn't stop them. She half turned, as if she were going to break from my grasp and run away, but I pulled her to my chest where she finally broke down into big, gasping sobs.

"Shh… shhhh… it's ok. It's going to be ok," I murmured as I stroked her hair. I lead her back over to the porch swing. For awhile I just sat there with her while she cried, not saying anything and letting her get out all her pent-up grief.

I don't know how long it was before she stopped crying, but when she did she didn't raise her head from it's place on my now-soaked chest. For a moment I thought perhaps she had fallen asleep.

"Leah?" I whispered.

"Hmm?" Came the muffled reply.

"Nothing. You were just so quite. I thought maybe you were asleep or something."

I could feel her smiling against my chest. "Not asleep. I just don't want to move."

I had to laugh at that. "Well, you don't have to."

She raised her head and looked me in the eyes. "Why are you being so good to me? I've always been mean to you," she said quietly.

"Because I care." I decided not to unload an 'I love you' on her just yet. I wasn't taking any chances in scaring her off.

Leah grinned at me and buried her head back in my chest as I pulled her closer. "This is nice," she said.

"Yes, it is," I replied.

"You know if the offer is still good… to try this, I think I'd like to take you up on it now."

I smiled a mile-wide grin. "It's still good."


End file.
